Hub for vehicle-wheels



(No Model.)

0. W. PILLMORE.

HUB FOR VEHICLE WHEELS.

No. 324,928. Patented Aug. 25, 1885.

WITNESSES: v j INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

Nrr'eo STATES ATENT Orrrcrg.

CHARLES W. FILLMORE, OF ll'lARENGO, ILLINOlS.

HUB FOR VEHICLE-WHEELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 324 928, dated August25. 1885 Application filed July 16, 1885.

To all whom it may concern: 7,

I- 3e it known that I, CHARLES W. FrLLnoRE, a resident of Marcngo, inthe county of Mellenry and State of Illinois, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Hubs .t'or Vehicle-\Yheels; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact de scription of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in hubs for vehicle-wheels, and isfully described and explained in this specification and shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a plan of a hub embodying myinvention; Fig. 2, a longitudinal central section thereof through theline or 9 Fig. l, the view being in the direction indicated by the arrowto, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a transverse section of a portion of the hub throughthe line no 'I Fig. l, the spokes of the wheel being in position in thehub, and the view being in the direction indicated by the arrow a, Fig.1; Fig. 4, a transverse section of the hub through the line a 2 Fig. I,looking in the same direction as in Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a transverse sectionof one of the retaining-plates I) through the line a y, Fig. (5, lookingin the direction indicated by the arrow to, Fig. (i; Fig. 6, a sideelevation of one of said rctainingplates.

In these views, A is a wooden vehicle-hub of ordinary outward form, andhaving the usual spoke mortises, (J, adapted to receive the full-sizcdends of a series of spokes, E, and also the ordinary tenon-mortises,which are narrower than the spoke mortises O, and re ceive the tenons Gof the spokes.

Between each of the spoke-mortises and the one next to it on either sideis a metal retaiu ingplate, l), of a width equal to the space betweenthe two contiguous mortises, and of a depth preferably equal to that ofthe spokemortises. Each of the retainingplates extends a considerabledistance beyond the end of the spoke-mortise in either direction, theprojecting ends of the plate being embedded in suitable grooves in thebody of the hub, and the outer surface of each of the plates being flushwith the surface of the wooden portion of the hub.

At either end of each of the retainingplates,

and at a considerable distance from the end of (X0 model.)

the SPOliO-lllfilllSO, is a notch or depression, H, in the outer face ofthe plate, and in the wood of the hub are formed annular grooves of thesame cross-section as the notches or depressions in the plates, andftnming therewith continuous annnlar channels, encircling the hub, andpreferably at equal distances from the spokc-mortises. In each of thesechannels is a metal ring or band, B, shrunk into place in the usualmanner, and fastening the plates 1) securely in place. I prefer that theouter surfaces of these rings shall be flush with the general surface ofthe hub, as shown in the drawings; but this is not essential. I alsoprefer that each of the bands shall be substantially halt oval incross-section; but the form of the band is evidently notmaterial.

The central part or body, 1), of each of the retaining-plates is atruncated wedge, thickest at the surface of the hub, and growing thiirner as it approaches the axis. Its opposite surfaces form the lateralfaces of the two spoke-mortises between which it lies, and itis, infact, nothing more or less than a partition between said mortises.

From thcbody l) outward in either direction the plate is somewhatthinner than the body, its thickness being preferably about the same asthat of the thinnest part of the truncated wedge D.

Between the body 1) and each of the dc pressions lI, each of the plateshas formed on its outer surface a cap, in, extending outward on eitherside of the plate, and preferably flush with the. surface of the hub andof the same width as the outer face of the body D. When the plates arein place in the hub, the caps m guard against the admission of moisturet0 the grooves in which the plates areembeddcd, and at the same time addto the finished appearance of the hub. They are a material addition tothe perfection of my in vention, but are nevertheless not absolutelyessential to its successful operation.

An examination of the hub shown in the drawings and above described willshow that it has the advantages without the disadvantages of theordinary banded wood hub. The remox'al of the wood between thespokemortises and the substitution therefor of the retaining'platespermits the formation of a mortise large enough to receive thefull-sized end of the spoke within the body of the hub; and at the sametime the setting of the bands B B at a considerable distance from thespokes leaves a body of wood at each end of each of the spoke-mortises,and thus affords a comparativel y elastic cushion for each ed go of thespoke.

The principal strains which a spoke receives when in use in a wheel arethe endwise thrust, which it constantly receives, and the edgewisestrain, communicated to the spoke through any lateral pressure on thewheel. The endwise thrust on the spoke-is taken up by the hub-surfaceson which the end and shoulder of the tenon rest, and it is essentialthat these surfaces be of wood and not of metal. The ed gewise strain onthe spoke is received by the material at the ends of thespoke-mortises,andit is exceedingly desirable that these surfaces bealso of wood rather than of metal. It has long been common to strengthenthe hub by the application of bands or flanges encircling the hub and incontact with the edges of the spokes but the edgewise strain alreadyspoken of tends constantly to chafe and wear the spokes against suchbands or flanges, and eventually to greatly weaken the spokes at thepoint where they most need strengthviz., at the surface of the hub. Bythe arrangement shown I strengthen the hub by the substitution of metalfor wood where the added strength is most needed, and where the presenceof the metal is unobjectionable, and at the same time I leave intact thewooden cushions, which are required to stand the severest strains towhich the spokes of the wheel are subjected.

Having now described and explained my invention, what I claim as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a mortised wooden hub, of a series of metalretainingplates lying between the spoke-mortises, but extending beyondthe ends of said mortises toward both ends of thehub, and having theirprojecting ends embedded in the wood of the hub, and two rings or bandsencircling the hub and the ends of said retaining-plates, each of saidrings being separated from the spoke-mortises by a portion of the woodof the hub.

2. The combination, with a mortised wooden hub, of a series ofretaining-plates lying between the spoke-mortises and forming the sidefaces thereof, but extending beyond the ends of said mortises towardboth ends of the hub, and having their projecting ends embedded in thehub, and two bands or rings encircling the hub and the ends of saidretainingplates, and resting inannular channels cut in said hub and saidplates, each of said rings having its outer surface flush with thesurface of the hub, and bein g separated from the spoke-mortises byaportion of the wood of the hub.

3. The combination, with a mortised wooden hub and aseries of spokesinserted in the mortises thereof, of a series of retaining-plates lyingbetween the spokes and within the surface of the hub, and extendingtoward the ends of the hub beyond the spokes, and two rings or bandsencircling the hub and the ends of said retaining-plates on oppositesides of the spokes, but not in contact therewith, each of saidretaining-plates being provided with an integrally-formed cap extendingfrom the spokes to each of the encircling rings, and each of said capsbeing flush or approximately flush with the surface of the hub.

4. The combination, with the mortised hub A, of the retainingplates D,lying between the spokes mortises and having the flanges m, and therings B, encircling the hub and the ends of the retaining-plates, andseparated from the ends of the spoke-inortises by parts ofthe wood ofthe hub.

5. The combination, with the mortised hub A,of the retaining-platesshown and described, each consisting of a central body,D, lying betweentwo contiguous mortises, and two projecting ends embedded in the wood ofthe hub and formed with caps m and depressions H, and the rings or bandsB, encircling the hub and lying in said depressions and in annularchannels in the hub continuous with said depressions, substantially asshown and de scribed, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES W. FILLMORE.

Witnesses:

S. WI-IIPPLn GEI-IR, T. G. FIsH.

